


identity crisis

by 49percentchanceofbees



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternative Perspective, Canon Related, Canon Universe, Extended Scene, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-06
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2019-03-14 13:17:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13590843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/49percentchanceofbees/pseuds/49percentchanceofbees
Summary: While contemplating a strange storm on the train to Tenebrae, Prompto faces a shocking attack from his prince and best friend.





	identity crisis

**Author's Note:**

> My first thought in seeing the train scene was that I'd love to see it from Prompto's point of view ... Includes a headcanon offered to me by a friend, that Prompto had some vague idea of his origins and started to think that was why Noctis attacked him.
> 
> BTW, I owe considerable thanks to [this video of the scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDj0xDAOZ_0), which I used as a reference.

For a second the world went quiet, still,  _ odd _ ; but Prompto barely noticed, busy staring at the strange storm front -- he was thinking about his camera, wondering if he could get any good shots from a moving train. 

 

“What’s … going on?” Noctis said, sounding even more out of it than usual. Prompto turned to see Noct standing, slowly, clearly quite confused.

 

“It’s a real mystery.” The train car was oddly quiet, now that he thought about it; a trick of the rails, perhaps. Meanwhile, Noctis stared blankly at Prompto. Was he all right? He looked so distant. Maybe if Prompto kept talking to him, it’d help … connect him to reality, or whatever. “I’m not liking that stormcloud, kind of giving me the chills.”

 

Prompto could practically hear Ignis’ retort in his head:  _ Snow and rain  _ do _ tend to do that.  _ But Ignis wasn’t there, so he had a less critical audience.

 

“Like, who comes up with this stuff? I couldn’t dream this up if I tried. It’s a wondrous world.”

 

The confusion on Noctis’ face turned, slowly at first and then with awful suddenness, to rage. Prompto had half an instant to think, stupidly, that he’d managed to accidentally make a really awful pun --

 

“What the hell are you doing here?”

 

Prompto could practically feel his eyes bulging out of their sockets in surprise as he ducked -- barely -- away from Noctis’ sword. He gasped for air.  _ An accident, Noct accidentally summons his sword all the time …  _ But he still looked so … “Whoa, what’s going on?”

 

No one else in the car moved; they didn’t even seem to notice what Noct had just done. They were still, too still -- something was wrong, so wrong … Noct stalked towards Prompto, still furious.

 

“Easy there, buddy.” Prompto backed away. He almost laughed a little, almost convinced himself that this was all a humorous misunderstanding. “Didn’t see that coming -- ”

 

“Shut up!” The sword flashed again, thudding into the floor mere inches from Prompto.

 

“Be careful there!” Prompto got a good look at Noctis’ face this time, at the fury and hatred burning in his eyes. He’d seen Noct kill a lot of things, but never like this … “Wait. Is this for real?”

 

Noctis didn’t answer, but he didn’t have to; the look in his eyes, and the shifting of his shoulders as he readied another swing, were enough. For a second Prompto froze, but the Crownsguard had long since trained out of him the urge to panic when a man with a sword came at him -- never mind that this time it was  _ Noctis _ \-- but he wasn’t going to shoot Noct, of course, whatever might have come over him. So, if fight was out -- Prompto turned and ran, full tilt, for the end of the car, the other passengers’ silence pounding on his ears, Noct’s footsteps pounding at the floor behind him.

 

The next car was the sleeper, and Prompto threw open their compartment door. He knew better, but some part of him still thought Ignis or Gladio would be inside, and they’d know what to do -- but it was empty, and Noct was right behind him. Prompto stumbled inside, almost falling, and then he was outside again, behind Noct, watching him throw open the door.

 

“Show yourself!” Noct snarled.

 

Slowly, Prompto leaned into the doorway. He  _ had _ to be mistaken. With the silent passengers, the weird storm -- something had to be going on, something that had made him misunderstand … “Uh, Noct?”

 

Noct whirled, fist lashing out, and Prompto’s body reacted long before his mind. By the time his mind suggested, rather pathetically, that it had been a  _ friendly _ punch -- which made much more sense than a blade -- he’d already run through a car, maybe two -- he was losing track -- Noct was still behind him ...

 

“Come on, Noct,” Prompto begged. “You’re scaring me.”

 

Noct kept coming.

 

“Seriously, man, cut it out! It’s not safe! Plus, you’re causing a scene.” _Worst game of tag ever …_ Prompto stopped, though Noct was still moving, still after him. “Quit playing around, OK?”

 

“You think this is  _ funny _ ?” The sword appeared again; if Prompto hadn’t ducked, almost falling, hitting the floor, it might’ve taken his head off.

 

“Dude, are you seriously trying to kill me?” He scrambled through the door behind him, into the connector between cars.

 

“Why wouldn’t I?” The door barely closed behind Prompto before Noct threw it open again, eyes burning. “I’ve got you now.”

 

_ He’s right. I can’t keep running _ . 

 

“What are you after, following me around this whole time?”

 

_ Following … this whole time … since Insomnia? But, Noct, you invited -- _

 

Noctis slammed Prompto against the wall, his forearm against his throat. “It’s all your fault!”

 

“What are you talking about?” Something about barcodes and orphanages began to scream in Prompto’s head, something about the eyes of the magitek troopers they fought so often … “Do you really mean that, Noct?”

 

_ He knows, he knows -- something I don’t even know, and maybe it  _ is _ my fault, why didn’t he tell me sooner -- _

 

“Of course I do! You can’t talk your way out of this.”

 

“You won’t even let me!”  _ What do you know? I didn’t mean to, I didn’t know! _ Taking as much of a breath as he could, Prompto adopted as soothing a tone as he could muster.  _ I didn’t mean to, I didn’t want to hurt anyone _ . “Noct, please, can’t we talk about this for a sec?”

 

“Never!”

 

The train shuddered, jerked, knocking Noctis down; Prompto staggered, almost stepping into Noct, but caught himself. He went to check on Noct -- he was breathing -- but no, he had to go, he had to get out of here -- he could find Ignis and Gladio, they’d … If Noctis knew … something … they’d know too, wouldn’t they, they’d be even worse … After everything, how could Noct think -- how could he turn on Prompto so quickly, without warning, without giving him a moment’s benefit of the doubt -- Luna had just died, and if that’d made Noct snap --

 

He had to get away, just get out of here, get away from Noct -- he’d figure out what to do later, somehow, when he no longer had an angry prince on his heels -- he had to get away.

**Author's Note:**

> ~~Coming maybe, if I end up finishing this: a conversation between Ardyn and Prompto leading to that gunpoint moment on the roof, and Prompto's fall.~~
> 
> The chances of me ever writing a part two are like 1% at this point. Apologies.


End file.
